


What's the plan now?

by capsiclecevans



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff, Grief/Mourning, Occasional swearing, Post-Avengers: Endgame (Movie), Steve Rogers Comes Home, Steve Rogers Needs a Hug, Steve Rogers and the 21st Century
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-28
Updated: 2020-08-02
Packaged: 2021-03-04 08:20:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,421
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24966616
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/capsiclecevans/pseuds/capsiclecevans
Summary: “What’s the plan now?” Bucky asks the group quietly. Thanos was gone, as was Natasha and Tony, the Avengers were all over the place and you were pretty sure the whole programme will be disbanded after this. Unless Nick Fury had anything to do with it.Set in the final moments of Endgame, if Steve comes back to the 21st Century after returning the Infinity Stones where they retrieved them from. He then chooses to focus on his relationship with his girlfriend, you, while you are in the process of grieving the loss you have had to endure.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes & Reader, James "Bucky" Barnes & Steve Rogers & Sam Wilson, Steve Rogers/Original Female Character(s), Steve Rogers/Reader
Comments: 6
Kudos: 29





	1. What's the plan now?

**Author's Note:**

> This is what I thought the plot would be after Endgame, if Steve was in a relationship with you, the reader, and did return to the 21st Century after returning the Infinity Stones and then you have to grief for the people you have lost, together.

Five seconds. That’s how long it would take Steve to get back from returning the stones to their original time period where you collected them from. _Five seconds._ But why were these five seconds dragging on so much longer than they should?

Oh, because you was scared that Steve would go back to his previous life, to be with the love of his life. Margaret “Peggy” Carter. After seeing her again in 1970 when he and Tony were collecting the tesseract after failing to do so in 2012 on the Time Heist. Tony told you when you had all - apart from Natasha - arrived back in the compound that Steve had seen is first love when they had to go to Camp Leigh. You knew he wouldn’t come back, and you knew you were always going to just be a placeholder for Peggy.

Bucky stood beside you and held you close as tears welled up in your eyes as the seconds ticked by. But as Bruce said, the five seconds ticked by and Steve was back. You choked back a sob when you saw him.

He looked over at you, Sam and Bucky before smiling widely and walking over. Your friends walk over to give him a hug before he reaches you. You can’t help but launch yourself into his arms, like he had been gone for days on end, not literally _five fucking seconds_.

“Sweetheart, I wasn’t even gone a minute…” Steve chuckles and holds you close, taking in the scent of your shampoo. Strawberry and vanilla. His favourite. So he says.

“Thought you might have stayed there, gone back to 1945…” You mumble into his neck softly, tearing up again as you were terrified that he was going to be angry with you.

Steve stiffens up a little at your admission before holding you closer and pressing a kiss to your head. “Well, if I did that I would miss my best girl too much…”

 _Wait, what? You were his best girl?_ Yes, you had been in a relationship with Steve for around 2 years now, the snap and losing nearly everyone you loved and cared for made you realise how important he was to you, but it took time for you to both act on your feelings, due to dealing with the grieving of loved ones who disappeared in the snap. You didn’t know that you overtook Peggy’s place as Steve’s best girl during this time.

“I thought that was Peggy…” You whisper as you pull away to look at Steve carefully, taking his face in your hands slowly.

Steve smiles sadly at you before pressing a kiss to your forehead. He always knew that you felt second best towards his previous love of the 1940s, but he was hoping that coming back to you proved that he loved you and only you now. “Not anymore, not since before I confessed my feelings to you…”

You smile up at the love of your life. _Love of your life? Where the hell did that come from? Wait, yes, you have been together 2 years..._ He was here, he was able to save the world and return the stones before returning back to you. You couldn’t stop your heart beating out of your chest as you kissed the man you loved most in the world.

As you pulled away and walked over to Bucky, Sam and Bruce you noticed that Steve had retrieved a replica of his shield on his time travel, since his got destroyed by Thanos. You held his hand tightly and smiled at Bucky as he smiled back at you. When Steve volunteered himself to return the stones, that night, when you couldn’t sleep, Bucky found you in the living room of yours and Steve’s apartment, staring into space. It was then when you both spoke of the worry that Steve would stay in the past instead of coming back to you both, and that if it did come to that, you would be there for each other to pick up the pieces of your broken hearts.

“What’s the plan now?” Bucky asks the group quietly. Thanos was gone, as was Natasha and Tony, the Avengers were all over the place and you were pretty sure the whole programme will be disbanded after this. Unless Nick Fury had anything to do with it.

Steve looks at Bucky then at you, you smile at him softly and takes his free hand in yours, giving it a gentle squeeze. _I am not leaving you. I am here. I am safe. I love you._

 _“_ I am having a break, I want to spend time with my best girl, and lay low for a while, I think we all should.” Steve says before letting go of your hand to pull you closer to him, into his side. “And then, in time, we might be able to rebuild the Avenger programme, and continue to save the world.”

You looked up at Steve and marvelled in his beauty, wisdom and how serious he was about having a break. Something he hadn’t properly done since he was pulled out of the ice in 2011. He wanted to lay low with you, spend as much time as possible together before you are both needed again to save the world.


	2. I know it isn't home, but it will do

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You said your goodbyes a few days later. Hugging Pepper, Morgan, Sam and Bucky as Steve packed the suitcases into the trunk of the car Pepper said that you could have. One of Tony’s cars that would never been driven again unless she gave it away. Steve and yourself didn’t know where you were heading, but you were sure that no matter where it was you were together. Helping each other heal. Grieve for your two team members. Friends. Natasha. Tony. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys like this next chapter :)

You said your goodbyes a few days later. Hugging Pepper, Morgan, Sam and Bucky as Steve packed the suitcases into the trunk of the car Pepper said that you could have. One of Tony’s cars that would never been driven again unless she gave it away. Steve and yourself didn’t know where you were heading, but you were sure that no matter where it was you were together. Helping each other heal. Grieve for your two team members. Friends. Natasha. Tony.

Ever since you had joined the Avengers, Pepper became a maternal figure for you, since your parents disowned you when you applied to train in the compound and become one. You smiled at her sadly and teared up a little. “I don’t have to go…” You say softly, you knew she needed someone, someone to help her through her grief and to help look after Morgan.

“No, you need to, you two have healing to do together, wherever that is…” She says and strokes your hair out of your face. “For however long you need to be gone…” She adds and hugs you again. “Take care of each other, and don’t worry about checking in all the time, you need time to yourselves…” She says as Steve walks up to you slowly, resting his hand on the small of your back. _You ready?_

You look up at him and nods gently, smiling sadly as you leave the dysfunctional family you both had grown accustomed to love to get in the car slowly. Steve gave Sam and Bucky a quick hug before he spoke to Pepper quietly for a moment, probably promising her to look after you while you were away.

Instantly you rested your head against the head rest, closing your eyes lightly as you allowed your emotions to run over you. Grief. Sadness. Loss. Relief. _Love._ Maybe Pepper was right, maybe you needed time away, from your normal life to get to grips with everything. To heal. You finally opened your eyes when you hear Steve slide into the driver’s seat, his hand reaching over to give your knee a squeeze. To let you know he is there and that you are able to tell him anything.

You both waved to your friends as Steve started to drive away from the Stark’s cabin, tears filling your eyes gently and falling down your cheeks as you were in a post-Thanos world and you didn’t know what was going to happen now.

You dozed off against the window at some point around the 2 hour mark into the drive, Steve’s hand resting on your thigh throughout the drive, the radio on low. You were driving south, that’s all you really knew. You were miles away from the Avengers Compound and Avengers Tower in New York. Miles away from the place you had lived since you joined the Avengers in 2013. But you were always at home, because you was with Steve. Steve was your home.

Steve glanced over at you, smiling a little to himself when he sees you are sleeping. You looked semi-peaceful, for the first time since he can remember. He wants to keep you safe, he was terrified that he was going to lose you in the final battle against Thanos. Especially when you got thrown against a rock and knocked out for several minutes, Bucky was the one who found you and kept you safe by fending off the enemies as you would have been a goner otherwise.

You woke up an hour or so later, Steve was slowing the car down and pulling into a hotel parking lot. It was dark out and Steve looked exhausted.

“Where are we?” You ask softly, stretching in your seat and feeling your spine click.

“Cape May, 3 hours from New York” Steve says and looks at you, a tired smile on his face when he looks at you. You reach over and stroke his cheek as he removes the key from the ignition. At your touch he leans into it gently, sighing as he does. It had been a tough few weeks, having to get a team together, work out of you could time travel, complete the Time Heist to retrieve the stones, and fight Thanos again, all while also losing Natasha to get one of the stones and Tony to defeat Thanos, Steve was spent. He was the leader and he just wanted a break to be able to be himself, with you.

“Are you okay?” You ask him for the first time since Tony died in the final battle.

“As good as we can be beautiful” He says and reaches for your hand, bringing it up to press a kiss on your knuckles. He sighs lightly before getting out of the car and walking round to the trunk to get your suitcases. You get out the car slowly, stretching as you do before Steve pulls on a baseball cap and pair of glasses to try and hide his identity as you checked in.

You walked ahead of him to the hotel room you will be sharing, unlocking the door before walking in. It was completely different from your apartment, it wasn’t the way you and Steve would like it but it was somewhere to sleep, somewhere to try and relax.

“I know it isn’t home but it will do...” Steve says behind you before placing the suitcases down by the door and wrapping his arms round you. You lean into him finally acknowledging how exhausted you really were.

“Yeah, it will do…” You mumble before Steve carries you to the bed slowly. Holding you in his arms carefully. _It will do. As long as you had Steve you would be able to cope._


	3. "Why are you awake sweetheart? It's late..."

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You didn’t know how long you had been standing out on the balcony, staring out to the ocean, deep in your own thoughts about your family and friends when you felt Steve’s arms wrap around your waist. You instantly lean into him, relaxing slowly. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a little filler chapter for you all :) x

_The sun shone through the gaps in the blinds slowly, as you and Steve held each other. You hadn’t slept all night, your clothes discarded on the floor. You kissed him slowly but also with passion. It had been the first time you had slept together. 2 months after getting together. 2 years and 9 months after the snap and realising that you were ever so grateful that Steve was still in your life, even though you had lost so many loved ones._

_“Hmmm…last night…” Steve mumbles as you comb your fingers through his hair slowly, eyes hooded as he looked at you. His eyes told you how he felt, pure love and contentment._

_“Was perfect…” You whisper as you finish his sentence for him and leans in for another kiss. You were relaxed and at ease. It was like all what has happened with The Accords, Thanos and losing the people you loved had evaporated._

_“Yeah...” he mumbles before looking at you with his piercing blue eyes. You notice him take a deep breath like he had something to say. “I am so in love with you...” he whispers and strokes some hair out of your face._

_Your eyes widen a little before biting your lip. You had feelings for Steve for years now, way before The Accords situation. When you had left with him go on the run. With Natasha, Sam and Wanda. To find Bucky. Now knowing that Steve was in love with you melted your heart, even though it was still cracked due to the loss you had endured. Wanda. Vision. Sam. Bucky. Tony in a way, you hadn’t seen him since the war between Team Cap and Team Iron Man. And you weren’t on his side. You were on Steve’s. You were always going to be on Steve’s side. Because you loved him more than anything in your life._

_“I love you too Steven Rogers…” You whisper before kissing him slowly, pouring all your, love for the man in front of you into the kiss._

_ \---- _

You turned to face Steve as he slept, smiling softly at the memory of your first time being that intimate with each other. When he was trying so hard to keep it together even though you saw the grief still playing on his mind.

You reach over and brush the strands of hair out of his face as he slept. He was the man that always kept you safe and held you when you needed grounding. Reassuring that you were going to be okay. In the end.

You make sure he is still asleep before you get out of the bed, walking over to the balcony of your room before leaning against the railing. Looking out to the ocean slowly. You smile sadly as you thought about Pepper and Morgan back in New York. You had never been the best with words or speaking about how you felt, but your words failed you every time you wanted to help them after Tony’s death. You just knew you would end up saying something wrong and would make them feel even worse than how they were already feeling. Losing the man they both loved ever so dearly.

You didn’t know how long you had been standing out on the balcony, staring out to the ocean, deep in your own thoughts about your family and friends when you felt Steve’s arms wrap around your waist. You instantly lean into him, relaxing slowly.

“Why are you awake sweetheart? It’s late…” He mumbles into your hair and holds you closer.

“Couldn’t sleep…” You whisper before turning to him. You slowly rest your hands on his biceps slowly, taking a deep breath. “I can’t stop thinking about these last few weeks. Natasha. Tony. Pepper. Morgan. I still can’t believe I am never going to see Tony and Natasha again.”

Steve sighs softly and rests his forehead against yours nodding as he does. He knows what you mean, even though he and Tony didn’t always see eye to eye. They meant so much to each other and Steve couldn’t believe he was gone.

“I know baby, it’s so tough, and we have all the time in the world to grieve, but they wouldn’t want us to be sad forever.” He says as he holds you close to him, knowing you needed the comfort of his arms around you.

“I know, it is just going to be hard, you know how much Tony meant to me…” You whispered. Tony was the one who encouraged you to train harder, become an Avenger instead of just a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent because he saw your potential.

“I do know beautiful, and I know how much you meant to him too...” Steve says, holding you close and pressing a kiss to your hair. “Let’s go back to bed...you need your rest...”

You reluctantly agree with Steve before following him back to the large king-sized in the hotel room. You both climb back into bed, your head resting on his chest, listening to his heartbeat as you fall back asleep against. The last thing you hear before you succumb to sleep was Steve whispering that he loved you into your hair.


	4. As good as we can be

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You had both decided to stay in Cape May for a while, it was quiet and you were able to relax. You and Steve were happy for the first time in a while, even though the loss was still weighing in on your mind. It was lovely to spend your days on the beach, and then the evenings dining and wining in the restaurants round the hotel. So far, you had been here for 3 weeks, just healing together. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a little filler chapter for you all x

The sun beat down on the ocean as you sat on the lounger, staring out at the ocean. You bit your lip as you watched Steve emerge from the water, you were entranced by him as he walked over to you. He smiled as he picked up his towel, rubbing his hair with it.

“Good swim?” You ask as you set the bookmark in your book slowly, moving your sunglasses so you are able to look at him in the eye.

“Much better if you joined me..” He smirks lightly at you before sitting on his loungers beside yours.

You had both decided to stay in Cape May for a while, it was quiet and you were able to relax. You and Steve were happy for the first time in a while, even though the loss was still weighing in on your mind. It was lovely to spend your days on the beach, and then the evenings dining and wining in the restaurants around the hotel. So far, you had been here for 3 weeks, just healing together.

“Now, now Steve, there are children about…” You tease and smile at him gently. He laughs lightly and shakes his head lightly, completely different from the 1940’s Steve that had been awakened in 2012. He had adjusted to the crude jokes and innuendos you often jibbed him with and just knew that he would never get you to stop. To get your head out of the bloody gutter.

“Hmmm, I didn’t notice, how could I when you were laying here looking so-” He starts as two kids scream as they run passed and you smirk at him.

“Rub some sunscreen on my back?” You ask and holds the bottle up for him. He chuckles and takes it from you gently, kissing your head lovingly. You relax into his touch as he massages the lotion into your back, humming under your breath lightly.

You feel him shift behind you to lean down and press a kiss to your shoulder. “You okay?” He mumbles against your skin.

You can’t help but smile at how his hands on your skin made you feel. Even after so long together he was still making you feel weak at the knees at his touch. His compliments made you blush like a schoolgirl. And knowing he was yours made your heart soar.

“As good as we can be…” You whisper, smiling before looking over your shoulder at your super-soldier boyfriend. He looked at peace, for once since you have met him, he could finally relax and try to enjoy what life wants to throw at him next. Or, maybe, he could finally give up the shield. The weight of the world on his shoulders would evaporate, he could process the guilt he has had to face for being the famous Captain America.

“That’s good, we needed this time away from everything, from our normal lives…” He says before pulling you close, your back pressed against his chest.

“When was anything about our lives normal Steve?” You ask, resting your hand on his knee lightly. He barks out a laugh when you say that, because its true, your life was not normal at all. Far from it, but would either of you change it for the world? Probably not, not now that you have found peace in each other’s arms. But you would, to bring back the people you have lost along the way. Tony. Natasha. Vision.

“You are right there…” He mumbles against your hair, pressing a kiss there and holds you close as you both enough the summer sun beating down on the beach.

You smile and reach up gently to run your fingers through his hair as you both relax together, your reading your book as he just people watches. A habit that he knows he will never be able to shake after everything he has had to go through. He would always have a fear that something bad is going to happen, something that could potentially tear you away from him. Ruin the life that he has built with you in the 21st Century. A life that he was unable to make with his first love, but now with his forever love.


End file.
